The present invention relates to an anti-pollution device for collecting fluids escaping from an underwater source, particularly hydrocarbons released through fractures of the sea bottom, or from an underwater well, a sunken ship, or an underwater pipe.
Numerous efforts have been made to isolate oil leaking from an underwater source, but usually such efforts have been related to confining the oil at the surface, rather than preventing the stream of oil from being deflected laterally by underwater currents. If the current is strong enough and/or the depth great enough, the escaping oil may be carried substantial distances from any oil recovery apparatus that is located at the surface.
Yet another deficiency of previously proposed apparatus for recovering or confining oil leakage is the amount of time required for installing the apparatus at the required location. Usually, leakage occurs unexpectedly, and it is necessary to take action promptly before large quantities of oil are accumulated on the surface of the water.
Recently, the blowout from Ixtoc I oil well in the Gulf of Mexico revealed the pollution risk involved in offshore drilling operations and illustrated the necessity for using equipment for substantially reducing or eliminating the risk of such pollution until, after the blowout, the well can again be controlled. It is difficult to place and hold prior art devices in position over a source of fluids escaping under pressure, such as a blown well, due to the turbulence produced by the hydrocarbon jet escaping from the well. The art is clearly deficient in its capability for handling escaping oil from such blowouts.
Applicant is not aware of any prior art which, in his judgment as one skilled in the art of confining and collecting oil leakage, would anticipate or render obvious the novel technique of the present invention; however, for the purposes of fully developing the background of the invention, and establishing the state of the requisite art, the following U. S. Pat. Nos. are set forth: 3,599,434; 4,449,850; 3,879,951; 3,653,215.